The British and Irish Lions of 2025 have had an inauspicious start to their tour of Australia, losing 28-24 to Argentina at a raucous Aviva stadium in Dublin.
It is the first time that the Lions have lost an opening tour match since 1971 and 20 years since Argentina drew with the Lions in Cardiff.
First-half tries to Ignacio Mendy and player of the match Tomás Albornoz gave Argentina a 21-10 lead at half-time, local favourite Bundee Aki crossing for the Lions in a sloppy defensive display.
But after that disappointing first half the contest developed into a thrilling game in which both teams threw the ball around with the apparent abandon of a post-season friendly.
The Lions hit back early in the second half through a penalty try and a Tadhg Beirne score to give the hosts the lead.
But a trilling score by Santiago Cordero saw the Lions fall to a deflating defeat as the Pumas celebrated in style on the pitch and reminded the Lions hierarchy that perhaps South America too would one day be a worthy tour destination.
The Lions rarely play matches on home soil and, in the bright sunshine of a summer Friday night in Dublin, there was a degree of frivolity in the sold-out stands far from the pressure cooker of a Test match — albeit one where the Lions were not handing out official Test caps.
Any suggestion that this was a fun kickabout in the Dublin sun was dispelled by the stern words that veteran tourists Maro Itoje and Elliot Daly imparted in the post-match huddle.
No doubt those conversations will continue on the plane Down Under, with the squad departing for Australia on Saturday morning.
"I think there are a few learnings. I think we showed glimmers of what this team can be about," Itoje said post-match.
"I think there were a few teething issues, [it was] our first run out.
"We'll take our lessons … we'll learn from our mistakes and move forward."
Many of those teething issues came at the lineout, where the Lions were awful, and in defence, where Argentina's pacing attack tore the line to shreds.
This is not the first-choice Lions team that will likely suit up in Brisbane on July 19 — just three Irish players made the starting XV due to the Leinster contingent's participation in the United Rugby Championship final last weekend.
But it was still an all-star-packed side that will have been chastened by the enthusiasm and skill of the Argentina side, who were missing plenty of players themselves, in front of them.
"We're building a team," Itoje added.
"We were nowhere near as consistent or accurate.
"We'll learn, we'll get better."
Despite the defeat, that improvement was evident as the game went on.
The Lions offered a glimpse of how Farrell wants his side to play and, against a ready and willing Argentine side that have claimed the scalps of all three southern hemisphere giants in the past 12 months, they showed glimmers of real class.
The scrum was utterly dominant — even with Irish pair Andrew Porter and Tadhg Furlong not involved — as Ellis Genge showed all his power.
It also indicated some combinations that Farrell may be interested in using, including a power-packed centre partnership of Aki and Sione Tuipulotu.
Fin Smith started at 10 but Marcus Smith, playing 15, popped up at first receiver with abandon in the latter stages of the match, flashing his fast feet and poking his nose through the line with increasing regularity.
That being said, both were overshadowed by the superb play of Benneton flyhalf Albornoz.
The polish may not have been there from the Lions, but the speed at which they attempted to play was indicative of the assault the Wallabies line will be under whenever they are without the ball — this Lions team will be coming to entertain as well as win.
Winger Tommy Freeman in particular was supreme in the air, a warning to avoid kicking in his direction should he make the cut for the test team.
But the pack, admittedly shorn of many of its key personnel, will need to step up — particularly in the lineout, which was desperately poor.
The Lions will have precious little time to regroup, with post-match briefings perhaps taking place on the long flight Down Under this weekend.
The nine-match tour, with three Tests and six tour matches, kicks off in Perth on Saturday, June 28 against the Western Force, where the Lions will no doubt be desperate to kick off their tour proper with a win.
British and Irish Lions: Marcus Smith; Tommy Freeman, Sione Tuipulotu, Bundee Aki, Duhan van der Merwe; Fin Smith, Alex Mitchell; Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Finlay Bealham, Maro Itoje (c), Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jac Morgan, Ben Earl.
Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Pierre Schoeman, Tadhg Furlong, Scott Cummings, Henry Pollock, Tomos Williams, Elliot Daly, Mack Hansen.
Argentina: Santiago Carreras; Rodrigo Isgró, Lucio Cinti, Justo Piccardo, Ignacio Mendy; Tomás Albornoz, Gonzalo Garcia; Mayco Vivas, Julián Montoya (c), Joel Sclavi, Franco Molina, Pedro Rubiolo, Pablo Matera, Juan Martin González, Joaquín Oviedo,
Replacements: Bautista Bernasconi, Boris Wenger, Francisco Coria Marchetti, Santiago Grondona, Joaquín Moro, Simon Benitez Cruz, Matías Moroni, Santiago Cordero.
